Georgia’s First Text the Library Service

Agnes Scott College’s McCain Library debuted its Text the Library service today during daytime business hours. We believe that McCain is the first library in Georgia offering patrons the option of sending a library question via text messaging. Since we aim to meet the needs of students and faculty wherever they use the library’s resources, it seemed like a logical expansion of services with minimal investment. Using Mosio over the Internet, McCain librarians receive and answer texted questions in the same window in which they monitor incoming Meebo IMs, so there is still only one software to watch, along with helping patrons in person at the Reference Desk.

Fuller hours for the texting service will start in January for spring semester. Any texted messages received when librarians are not staffing the Reference Desk will go to the library’s email account for follow up as soon as possible.

The library doesn’t charge to answer, but ASCers without unlimited texting plans on their cell phones may incur standard text messaging fees. For patron privacy, a sender’s phone number is not seen on the library end, but abusive numbers may be blocked, if necessary.

Students encouraged the library to experiment with the idea, so here’s how: